Navi Mumbai: Thousands of residents living in Kharghar and Taloja Phase-1 in Navi Mumbai are eagerly waiting for the opening of the newly-constructed road-under-bridge (RUB) connecting these two nodes. The RUB is likely to be opened during Diwali. The RUB is jointly being constructed by the Railways and CIDCO. More than 95% construction work of the RUB on the Panvel-Diva section of Central Railway has already been completed. According to officials from the Railways, the RUB could be operational by the third week of November.
Currently, motorists have no choice but to use a level crossing which is time consuming due to the high frequency of long route trains. Not to mention the risk involved in crossing the level crossing. In the last two months, locals have staged protests twice to open the RUB as motorists have to wait hours at the level crossing and have to face traffic congestion when it is opening for motorists.
Kasam Mulani, a social worker who is also affiliated to the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has been following with the Railways official to open the RUB said, “I had a discussion with executive engineer of the Central Railway in Panvel. He gave an assurance that the RUB will be opened during Diwali.”
On October 7, deputy chief engineer Ashutosh Kumar had informed CIDCO that around 95% work of the RUB was completed. He mentioned that they required one and a half months to complete the remaining. However, for the last one week, a message has been floating on social media that the RUB will be thrown open on November 15.
When FPJ contacted Kumar regarding the opening date of the RUB, he said that he had no idea about it. However, he said he had already clarified on October 7 that it required at least one and a half months to complete it. In the letter he had said that drainage management, approach roads among few small but important works were remaining to complete.
On the contrary, Mulani said that the executive engineer of Panvel area has assured him about the opening. "The one and a half months period will end on November 21. Even the railways take its own time, it should be opened by the third week of November,” added Mulani.
